Mums and dads, children and grandparents joined forces to help search for Sam well into the night and morning, using mobile phones, torches and headlights in their quest to find the autistic little boy who loved to climb trees and play in the sand.

The community response to his disappearance was staggering and overwhelming for Sam's parents Lyndal and Matthew, with grandfather Geoff Trott saying: We always knew Perth was a pretty generous place, but the spirit of people has just been fantastic."

Police have joined family and friends at the Trott home in Landsdale to support them through this terrible time.

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